'Sit In It' and 'You Take It (Criticism)' and 'Great Things Can Happen'

No one likes to be dogpiled on with criticism for a failing yet maybe there's a way through it if you respond intelligently

Failing is hard emotionally, yet when others jump on us with their negativity through disappointment, anger, resentment or mockery, it can feel unfair and too much.

How we respond often determines what happens for us in the future.

Consider the recent words of college basketball coach Matt Painter. His team was a number 1 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament (a/k/a March Madness) and lost to a number 16 seed. You knew people were not going to let that slide without verbal fire.

“We had to take it,” Painter said of the abuse that came last year. “Sometimes when you sit in it and you’re honest with yourself and you take it, some great things can happen.”

Fast forward a year (plus change) and Painter’s team — Purdue University — is in the Final Four for the first time in 44 seasons.

I’d argue that the people on the team and himself weathered the storm, sat in the criticism, as he said, were honest with themselves (about why they failed spectacularly), took the ugly commentary, worked hard again, grinded out the the tasks ahead again and some great things have happened and are happening.

It’s not easy, emotionally, to “take it” or “sit in it” or be “honest with yourself.”

We all know that to be damn hard. Excruciating even, maybe.

The strongest minded can do it though and work through the emotions and feelings, thus benefitting like many of us don’t. They choose the harder, more painful road and increase the odds that they will resiliently move forward and earn rare rewards.

Rising up through the pain and suffering is a must. Suppressing ego is too. Not everyone can do these things. We’re all capable though.

See you again in the next issue of the Reputation Intelligence newsletter…

Michael Toebe is a reputation consultant, advisor and communications specialist at Reputation Intelligence: Reputation Quality, assisting individuals and organizations with further building reputation as an asset or ethically protecting, restoring or reconstructing it.

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